Periodontology at a glance

  • V. Clerehugh,
  • A. Tugnait &
  • R. J. Genco
UK: Wiley-Blackwell price £24.99; pp 93 ISBN 9781405123839 | ISBN: 978-1-4051-2383-9

This is a well-illustrated and clear reference text aimed at dental students as well as dental professionals seeking a 'refresher'. The book fulfils these roles well, offering a two-page, well-organised summary of each aspect of periodontology that is covered. The text is written by highly respected figures in the world of periodontology from the University of Leeds and the State University of New York.

The book has 43 different sections which are organised logically and allow the reader to build a good understanding of the topic. The layout is helpful and commences with the science and basic knowledge behind the various topics such as 'Anatomy of the periodontium', 'Role of plaque in the aetiology of periodontal diseases' and 'Host defences'. This is followed by the clinical implications of these and the techniques used in the treatment of periodontal disease, in sections such as 'Principles of periodontal diagnosis and treatment planning', 'Periodontal surgery', 'Plaque-induced gingivitis', 'Chronic and aggressive periodontitis' and finishing with 'The decision to treat or refer periodontal patients'.

Section 4: 'Role of plaque in the aetiology of host defences' is a particularly good section. It uses simple, well spaced out diagrams, tables and images to concisely summarise the microbiological basis of periodontal disease. Other useful topics include section 16: 'Periodontal history, examination and diagnosis' and section 17: 'Periodontal screening'. These two sections are obviously closely linked and the author does well to outline the different methods in diagnosing periodontal disease, from BPE indexes to microbiological plaque sampling.

There are plenty of sections of a similar mould to those mentioned above where the information is clearly and logically set out. However, there are some that could be improved. For example, section 3: 'Periodontal epidemiology' contains far too much information for one double-paged spread, causing the diagrams and tables to become too small and too close together, with the result being information presented in a way that I personally found harder to absorb. This problem is repeated in a couple of other topics throughout the book but to a lesser extent.

It must be stressed, however, that these less well-presented sections are definitely in a minority, and most of the book is extremely easy to read and understand. The book on the whole is an excellent aid to dental students and general dental practitioners keen to refresh their knowledge.